She's So Lucky

In part one of this two-part conversation, we’re sitting down with Nia Jones Alugbin and Malaika Jones Kebede, sisters and co-founders of BROWN GIRL jane. BROWN GIRL jane is a Black woman-owned and founded company that offers broad spectrum CBD products created especially for women of color. Malaika Jones Kebede is co-founder and CEO and started BROWN GIRL jane after falling in love with the heali...

Today, we’re discussing ways to heal from and cope with racial trauma with our guest, Jacquelyn Ogorchukwu Iyamah. Jacquelyn is a Nigerian American Storyteller and User Experience Designer in the wellness space. She has a degree in Social welfare, where her focus was on making wellness more accessible to overlooked communities. She also has a degree in UX design, where she spent a year researching...

In this solo episode, Les will dive into the topic of worthiness. While each of us is born inherently worthy, we receive messages that lead us to believe our worthiness is transactional or something we have to earn back. Les will discuss her own struggles with worthiness, along with a guided meditation and journaling exercise that will help you reclaim your worthiness no matter what life throws yo...

Today, we’re talking to Dr. Sara C. Flowers. She became the Vice President of Education at PPFA in 2018. An advocate for evidence-informed practice and emotional intelligence in sex education, Sara’s research focuses on fidelity and adaptation of sex education curricula, dismantling sexual and reproductive health disparities, serving the youth of color, and strengthening reproductive health access...

Today, we’re talking to Adunola Adeshola, a career strategist and Forbes contributor. She teaches flourishing and unfulfilled corporate professionals how to secure new positions they love at companies they love.  Her clients have landed interviews and job offers at Tiffany & Co., Macy's, CBS, BP and other amazing Fortune 500 companies in their industries. Her expertise has also been featured i...

Today’s guest is Dr. Kristamarie Collman, a double board certified family medicine doctor. Leveraging her professional background in medicine paired with a natural flair for beauty and style, Dr. Kristamarie takes a holistic approach in helping women to live healthier lives.  She empowers women of all ages with tools and tips to “glow up” and ultimately feel their best.  Dr. Kristamarie graduated...

We are now in the middle of a global pandemic and cultural revolution at the same time. It’s a lot (to say the least). In this solo episode, Les is discussing the importance of setting boundaries and protecting your energy so you can channel it into the areas of life that make most sense for you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with responding to everyone wanting to check in with you because you’re...

Today’s guest is Jasmine Offor-Verville. Jasmine is a writer, speaker and truth-teller empowering us to unearth our individual Divine Destiny through the lens of Human Design.  Her provoking conversations and practice pioneer a new way of being that will allow each of us to see our divine nature. Through her resources, workshops and writing, Jasmine is changing the way we see ourselves so that we...

Today’s guest is Alina Brown, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner co-founder of WellnessCon, and creator of the Aligned Life Planner.  Alina creates video content for her Wellness YouTube channel called ‘Alina Alive,’ where she helps her 23,000+ subscribers take practical steps to deepen their wellness journeys. In 2019, Alina co-founded WellnessCon, an annual outdoor wellness conference d...

Today’s bonus episode is a candid conversation with Les’s mom Trina in honor of Mother’s Day.  This episode is a special one, as they talk about navigating motherhood through the different stages of life, and how their mother/daughter relationship has evolved over time. In this episode, we talk about… Trina’s experiences as a teen mom. Breaking generational cycles through intentional parenting. Es...

Today’s guest is Kathleen Booker. She is an effervescent native New Yorker whose energy is infectious. Kathleen is passionate about Conscious Connected Breathwork therapy and knows first-hand the energy, healing, peace, and joy it creates in one’s life.  As a certified and insured Breathwork Coach, she has worked with many masters in the field of Conscious Connected Breathwork therapy. For over 10...

Today, we’re talking to Adriana Jean Louis, doula and founder of Doula Philosophy. In her final year of college, Adriana submitted a thesis on the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis in the Developed United States through the lens of public policy. In her professional life she runs a private practice, Doula Philosophy and also works jointly with non profit organizations that specifically cater to vuln...

Today’s guest Patty Dean, also known as Patty Pilates, has been teaching classical Pilates for 20 years. Through her teaching, she has worked with celebrity clients, athletes, children of all abilities and everyone in between.  Patty Pilates Style actually started when she was a fashion stylist assistant for a celebrity stylist and fell in love with the method. After being a stay at home Mom she d...

Today we’re talking to Bridget Todd, political strategist, media personality, and co-host of AFROPUNK’s Solution Sessions Podcast where she focuses on amplifying Black stories globally. Bridget has had an extensive career in media, education and politics. The former Howard University educator is a trained human rights activist and coordinated digital strategy for organizations such as MSNBC, Plann...

Today’s guest is Nadine Joseph, founder and CEO of Peak and Valley, a conscious company that combines ancient wisdom and modern science to make everyday wellness essentials.  Nadine has a unique background entrenched in both the worlds of wellness and that of the scientific community. She combines the experiences gleaned from her time studying and conducting neuroscience research at both Johns Hop...

Today’s guest is Toya Coleman, creator of Toya from Harlem. Toya From Harlem is an online platform for millennials of color who want to learn more about Locs, history, art and culture without boring pretentious language. Born and raised in Harlem, with a BA in African-American studies, Toya was inspired to create her platform as a way to capture the historical places in Harlem that were being eras...

In today’s episode, Les is holding it down solo discussing listener-submitted topics. Starting off with some reflection on 2019 and a renewed mindset for 2020, this episode gets deep down and personal about family, relocating, dating, manifestation, and more.  Whether you’re considering a relocation and are afraid to take the leap, you’re feeling stuck in a situation that you aren’t sure how to na...

Today’s guest is Sinikiwe Dhliwayo, a creative and public speaker who for the last decade has made a home at the intersection of wellness and publishing. Sinikiwe has worked in all facets of the photo and magazine publishing industry and oversees photo and video shoots from inception and conception to execution and delivery. Her skills include casting, producing and art direction as well as creati...

Today, we’re talking to Jennifer Sterling, Registered Dance/Movement Psychotherapist and Holistic Nutritionist. She is also the Creator of Bodyful Healing, a wellness platform that offers body-based, holistic support to Black women living with depression. In 2019, Jennifer’s book Dear Strong Black Woman: Letters of Nourishment and Reflection from One Strong Black Woman to Another was published. De...

Today we’re talking to Shena Tubbs, a Relational Trauma and Attachment Specialist, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Love Addiction Coach based out of Houston, TX.    She is the founder of Black Girls Heal, an online community dedicated to helping women of color break the cycles of unavailable relationships and feeling not enough by healing what's within.    In addition to Black Girls Heal, She...

Today, we’re talking to Sojourner White. Sojourner is a traveling scholar whose experiences as a Fulbright Fellow in Spain and service year as a Pubic Ally with AmeriCorps led her to become an International Social Worker.  Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, her travel journey started in the U.S. with her family, however studying Spanish opened her eyes to the world of international travel. Since st...

Today, we’re talking to Shirin Eskandani, life coach, public speaker, and writer who specializes in mindfulness and mindset work. She has been a featured wellness expert on the Today Show and Cosmopolitan Magazine. Certified by the International Coach Federation, her holistic approach to transformation is influenced by her background in guided meditation, spirituality, and the arts. Prior to build...

Today, in partnership with BECU, I’m sitting down with millennial money expert Tonya Rapley of My Fab Finance to discuss the importance of financial wellness.    Tonya’s mission is to help millennials break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck so they can become financially free and do more of what they love. Selected by TV One as a modern-day history maker, Tonya is a full-time entrepreneur a...

Today, we’re talking to Shayla Varnado. Shayla is a serial entrepreneur, entertainer, side hustle queen and the founder of Black Girls Wine. Black Girls Wine, affectionately known as BGW, is a lifestyle brand that celebrates Black girl magic by curating exclusive experiences for women who love wine. With over 11 chapters in 10+ cities, the brand is growing and the world is taking notice. A decade...

Today’s episode is a special one - it is the one year anniversary of Balanced Black Girl Podcast! To celebrate the first year of the show, we are diving into our favorite question: what does being a Balanced Black Girl mean to you?    Host Les is sharing what being a Balanced Black Girl means to her, and we are revisiting some of the most powerful responses to this question from previous episodes...